Play feeds the Soul

The Art

This page is done in my recycled recipe book. I love this little book. It has thick coated pages that take wet mediums so well.   I started this page with no idea in mind except to use paint.  The need for paint was strong this day. The page already had big dots of paint on it because I used it to cleaned my brushes one day. The colors are mostly Distressed Paint by Tim Holtz and Adirondack paint by Ranger.  

I used a lid from a bottle and navy blue to make the big rings. I used a Mr. Huey Studio Calico Mister Huey's Mask Circle Graph in the background. It is one of my favorite masks. The dragonflies and flowers are from a stencil someone gave me. Sorry no brand name. The writing is from a stamp that Lori gave me. I think it's an unmounted Hero Arts stamp. It was stamped with Archival Ink.

When you are a collector of what other people are giving away, you often end up with supplies with no brand name on them.  I'm that person.... the one people think of when they don't want to throw something away but don't want it anymore.  Down the road, they call me and say... can I borrow that thing I gave you.  LOL... I'm the collector.  I come by it honestly. My dad has a wood shop full of nails that his company was getting rid of before he retired. He's been retired 20 years!

Thoughts and Feelings

I believe that playing feeds the soul.  This subject has been on my mind recently.  I have friends who don't know how to play. Everything they do has to have a purpose.  Even reading for one is for escape.   They don't know how to do things just for fun.

Just typing that made me feel tired.  I know that my mind, body and spirit need to relax and unwind. Life is sometimes stressful. That is unavoidable so I have things that help me. There are three things in my life that help me relax and remove the effects stress. 

The first is reading. I read novels. I have very eclectic tastes.  I might read a romance one day and an FBI thriller the next.  I don't read to improve my mind. I read totally for entertainment and relaxation.  If I go too many days without reading I get irritable and discontent.

The second is talking with a friend, usually about art. A friend who will listen when I'm down and rejoice with me when I happy is rare and wonderful thing.

The third thing I do is Art Journal.  I try to do something creative everyday. I don't always art journal and on days when I can't journal, I doodle or practice my lettering.  Art Journaling is the best form of play I've found.  I'm not a very physically active person so playing ball or exercising doesn't do it for me.  Art does.

I can arrive home tired and stressed and after an hour at my art table I feel so much better. I love to have painty fingers. Some days I get so involved in the process of creating that two or three hours will go by with me even realizing it.  That is the perfect form of play for me.  

Why Art Journaling?  NO RULES!!  That is why it a form of play for me.  I am totally free to do whatever I want.  I can just scribble if I want. It's my book and anything goes in it.  I feel totally free when I art journal.

I hope you will give art journaling a try.  Remember.... No rules... just fun.
Thanks for stopping by and visiting with me.  I'd love to hear what you think about art and play.

Mixed Media Madness

The Summer of Color Challenge  is coming to an end. This is the last week of the challenge. I really enjoy this challenge and I'd like to thank Kristin Van Valkenburgh for hosting the challenge once again.  

I was out of town last week so I am a little behind in my challenges. I combined the SOC and my Journal 52 (Technology was the theme).

I used acrylic paint and Silks for this page. I'm not sure I love the Silks because they ran when I used matte medium on top of them. The sun burst was made with a Tim Holtz stencil. The dots were made with a rubber stamp I found in my drawer.  My art drawers are always fun because they are like a treasure chest.  I forget I have something so when I find it, I feel like I've gotten something new.

I've heard a lot of pros and cons about the internet. I would just like to say that I've made many new friends in the last three years.  This page represents where the members of one group of friends live.  We share art and our lives with each other through the internet. We also trade mail art. I've received a lot of international mail in the last three years.  I feel like I have 20 plus pen pals. These friends have taught me a lot and have helped me gain confidence in my artwork.  I love the ladies of Mixed Media Madness. This page is for you. 

Link to: Paint Party Friday

Guest Artist... Wee Man

If you've been reading my blog you know that I've made friends who a wonderful lady and her grandson who live in Scotland.

The Wee Man and Mo, his grandmother, really liked my journal page using a Word Search.  I decided that I would make Wee Man one on his favorite subject... Transportation.. especially Trains and Buses.  

You see the results on the left.  He found those so fast I made the next one longer.  I also figured out how to make the next one shaped like a train.  

I am having so much fun sending things to Wee Man and his grandmother.  I have a feeling he is smarter than I am and I'm going to run out of words for the searches soon.

Again, I'm amazed that I'm making friends with people who lives across the ocean through art and word puzzles.  I am also very careful to send Wee Man's email to his grandmother because I want him to be safe. Children can meet dangerous people on the internet and so we must be very careful.  He is too young for an adult to contact directly. His grandmother is very good at keeping him safe. He is very lucky to have such a great grandmother.